Princess Anne takes charge at Severn Valley Railway

Princes Anne unveiled a commemorative plaque on Kidderminster Station and met staff and volunteers.

She even turned engine driver on the visit, taking over the controls of a vintage locomotive.

Flag-waving pupils from nearby Comberton Primary School were among more than 200 people waiting on the concourse to greet her.

The royal guest had accepted an invitation to travel on the footplate, donning a smock coat and industrial gloves before taking charge on the two-and-a-half mile journey from Bewdley Station, where she embarked, to Kidderminster.

During yesterday's visit the princess praised the hard work of everyone involved in saving and maintaining the railway after it fell victim to Beeching's axe in the early 1960s and said the organisation had 'quite rightly' won the Queens Award for Voluntary Service for their efforts.

Unveiling the plaque and signing the visitors' book, she added her thanks for the ride on the footplate.

"It was a real treat," she said. SVR chairman Nick Paul presented her with a billy can and a whistle as a momento of her visit. Picking up the whistle, she asked: "Does it work on dogs?"

The royal visitor was introduced to the founding members and a selection of volunteers before being escorted to the Carriage Works where she met manager Hugh Mc Quade and some of the apprentices in the SVR's Heritage Skills Training Academy.

The Princess Royal was given a demonstration of some of the coach restoration skills taught through the scheme.

Mr Paul said: "The visit was a huge success. The princess was impressed by the huge input of the volunteers. She was extremely enthusiastic and it was nice to see how knowledgeable she was about the railway."